Retired Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates on Thursday released a swarm of mosquitoes at a California conference in a stunt to draw support for his anti-malaria cause.

The mosquitoes released by Gates from a jar during a talk Wednesday at the Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) 2009 in Long Beach stunned scientists, academics and business leaders attending the annual event.

“Malaria is spread by mosquitoes,” Gates yelled to the crowd before unleashing the insects, which were not carrying the disease, according to the Telegraph. “I brought some. Here I’ll let them roam around. There is no reason only poor people should be infected.”

One part too much money, one part too much time on his hands, and totally nuts!